Daddies Don't Leave
by Shadows of Truth
Summary: Jason and Sam are sent on a wild goose chase that doesn't seem to take them anywhere. Every lead seems to make little to no sense until they finally reach the turning point. A closely kept secret of Jason's comes to light and it threatens to unravel his entire relationship with Sam. Will they survive or will Jason's heart pull him back home? Back to his true love? Liason and LuSam
1. Chapter 1

**Daddies Don't Leave**

_"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way."_

Months they have spent tracking down lead after lead. They have knocked down door after door, beaten up whoever needed beating, and wore the soles of their shoes bare trying to put an end to the most recent threat. Jason Morgan couldn't fathom where the next lead would take them. What he knew - in the pit of his gut - is that he couldn't stop.

His fiancee, Samantha McCall, is right beside him. Tracking lead after lead and never giving him grief for putting his all into it. Neither of them knew why this particular threat felt personal to Jason - almost nothing ever was - but he didn't question it and she didn't pry.

"Where to next?" Sam asks her fiance, changing her t-shirt and tossing her hair into a ponytail.

"I don't know." he replies, dropping onto the club chair, the fatigue clear in his voice. "I don't even know if we're ever going to get to the end of this thing."

"Hey, don't start with that." she climbs onto his lap. "We'll find the person responsible and put an end to them. We always do."

"It doesn't feel like it this time." Jason sighs, running a weary hand down his face. "I'm at the end of my strength, Sam. I can't go on like this forever."

"You always get your mark." Sam encourages him. "This one is no different."

"You're right." he closes his eyes, leaning his head against her shoulder. "But you know that Sonny's not going to let me chase this down forever, Sam."

"We'll just have to work faster." she says simply, trying to persuade him into keeping the faith. "Come on, the faster we leave the closer we'll be."

"Okay."

Grabbing his jacket from where he tossed it, Jason follows her out of the umpteenth motel room they've been in. As they approach the car, he turns back to look at the motel, a flicker of a memory plays in his mind, but he quickly shakes it away.

"Ready?" Sam's voice understanding and loving.

"Yeah." he turns to look at her, taking a deep breath with his hand on the door handle. "I'm ready."

Once again they are off to track down another lead. Sam wouldn't admit it aloud, but she was worried about him. She has never seen him this shaken up and she knew that if he gave up on this he'd never be able to put it to rest. Whoever was behind this, they were better than she or Jason thought possible.

Glancing over at him, she wonders what could be going through his mind. She knows that he hasn't been getting much sleep these last few months and it didn't look like he'd be getting any until this was handled. Of course, being the fiancee that she is, she offered to handle it for him, but he didn't accept. Not that she thought he would.

"This is it." Sam's voice breaks through his thoughts.

"It can't be." Jason stares at it, unable to believe where he was. "It can't be."

"This is the place, Jason." Sam insists, getting down along with him. "I checked and double checked the address."

"No." Jason runs up the steps, banging on the door before turning the knob and finding it unlocked. "This isn't right."

"Jason, wait for me!" she shouts, grabbing her gun and running up the steps after him. "Jason! JASON!"

She searches the house, desperately looking for him, but there's no sign of him anywhere. Her heart is pounding in her chest, she fears the worst when she finds more than a few dead bodies in the downstairs restroom. Each of them killed execution style. One man can be found tied to a chair, clearly tortured to death.

"Oh, god, Jason." Sam whispers to herself. "What the hell is going on?"

Walking silently through the house, she makes her way outback, hoping to find him there. Its in that moment that she realizes how silent the world around her really was. Its almost eerie, the feeling of death in the air.

Stepping out into the yard, she spots what looks like a pool house, her gut telling her that her fiance was most likely there. She makes her steps light, spotting two more dead bodies beside the pool, making her believe that this was one hell of a struggle.

Jason, on the other hand, is silently making his way through the pool house. His heart in his throat, praying to all that's holy for a miracle that may never come. Gun drawn, he steps through the doorway, into the last bedroom at the end of the hall.

Standing in the middle of the room is a beautiful three year old girl, all alone. Putting his gun away, Jason kneels down in front of her, his worst fears come to life. Recognition shines through her eyes and a soft smile touches her lips.

"Jason." she says in a soft tone. "I miss you."

"I missed you, too." Jason fights the tears. "Can I get a hug?"

The little girl walks into his arms, allowing him to hold her in a warm embrace. He didn't want to believe this. All the clues, every lead had been leading him here, back to where his life had started. He couldn't believe that he didn't put the pieces together faster.

The motels, the arcade, - hell - even the old camp...he should have seen this coming. He should have protected them better than this. Just as he closes his eyes, holding her close, Sam comes walking through the door - nearly shell shocked at what she finds.

"Jason?" Sam voices, unable to believe that she was seeing her fiance holding a little girl. The child is beautiful, with curly pigtails and a purple flower dress."Why are you holding a little girl?"

"Sam." Jason stands up, carrying the little girl in his arms. "This is Elle...she's my daughter."

"You're what?" she looks at him in shock, storing her gun at the small of her back. "You did not just say that's your child."

"I did." Jason sighs, taking a deep breath. "I know I should have told you..."

"Yeah." Sam cuts him off. "You should have, but that's not the point right now. Who else knew about her?"

"Just three people, other than me." Jason concedes. "Francis, Johnny, and..."

"Sonny?" Sam guesses when he doesn't continue. "Did Sonny know about her?"

"Sonny knew."

"I..." Sam scoffs, throwing her hands up in the air. "I can't believe this. What do we do now?"

"Jason." Elle yanks on his shirt. "Mommy said to give you that."

Sam steps forward, picking up the note that was left on the dresser. Shaking her head, she hands it off to Jason. How was it possible that her entire relationship, a relationship built up for two years, can just come to pieces in a matter of seconds?

"What's our next move?" Sam says, eyeing the little girl before looking at Jason. "I assume you want to see this through to the end now, right?"

"I have to." Jason looks at his daughter lovingly. "She needs her mother."

"I'll help you." Sam says firmly, waiting until he looks at her before continuing. "But you and I are going to talk about this once we find her."

"We will." Jason promises. "After we find Elizabeth."

"Lets go, then." Sam turns her back on them. "I don't want to be around when the cops get here."

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**Please review. I'd appreciate any kind of feedback you can give. Anything at all.  
This is an original idea from yours truly. I really hope yo like it. Thank you!**


	2. Chapter 2

**Daddies Don't Leave**

_"A father is neither an anchor to hold us back nor a sail to take us there, but a guiding light whose love shows us the way."_

Silence is a constant presence within the private plane as the three of them make their way back to the small town of Port Charles. Jason is reclined in his chair, cradling the little girl in his arms after having lulled her to sleep.

For the first time in their entire relationship, Sam feels out-of-place, as if she didn't belong. After many years of feeling unworthy, she had sworn to never let anyone feel that way again. She swore that she'd find her place in life and thrive in it. That place had been beside Jason, but now her entire world has become a farce.

While her fiance's entire focus is on the child she knew nothing about, Sam is planning a certain in-depth conversation with a certain ex-boyfriend of hers. Sonny knew, probably better than anyone, just how important her relationship with Jason truly was. He knows how badly she needed Jason. He should have told her about the child.

"Jason?" the girl stirs in his arms, causing Sam to roll her eyes. "Are we going to mommy?"

"Not just yet." Jason's voice is broken, hating that his life has seeped into hers. "You're going to stay with me for a while, okay?"

"Is mommy at the doctor?" Elle looks at him curiously, worry in her eyes.

"No, she's not at the doctor." Jason glances over at Sam, sighing slightly when she turns away from him and closes her eyes. "Go back to sleep, sweetheart. We'll be there soon."

"Okay." she whispers, her small mouth opening in a yawn before she closes her eyes and nestles into Jason's shirt.

Rocking her in his arms, Jason could only hope that, wherever she is, Elizabeth's alive and safe. After everything she survived, he had to believe that her life wouldn't end because of this...because of him. In the end, he had made her one solemn promise that his life would never touch hers again. It had been the only promise he had ever made her and he has screwed it up more than he ever thought possible.

He will find her. He has to. It is the only thing keeping him going at this point. Elle needs her mother and Jason won't let her lose the only parent she has ever known. Not in this lifetime. Not after everything they had put into keeping them guarded and safe. After all the work they had put in to make any trace of him vanish from their world.

Elle still has a lot of growing up to do. She still had so much to learn and see, so much to feel and experience, and her mother needs to be there for all of it. If Jason has to raise his daughter without the woman who gave her life, he doesn't know how he'll ever manage to do it.

When they land in Port Charles, they are met at the airstrip by an onslaught of guards with Sonny in the lead. Elle clings to Jason as they approach them, Sam falling behind in silence, a little hurt by how affected Sonny seemed to be, as well as the two guards that knew the truth from the start.

"Is the safe house ready?" Jason questions, standing in front of Sonny.

"Yeah." Sonny says with conviction before putting a gentle hand on Elle's back. "Hey, cutie, remember me?"

Elle shakes her head quickly, peeking out through her bangs as she clings to Jason.

"Uncle Sonny." she says in a hushed tone.

"That's right." Sonny dimpled smile breaks out over his face. "We're going to make sure you have a great time with us. Promise."

"Can we paint?" Elle lifts her head slightly, a little more confident.

"Of course." Sonny says without hesitation. "Who would I be if I didn't buy you a new paint set before you got here?"

"Mommy's not coming yet." Elle says sadly, no longer clinging to Jason. "But she's not at the doctor."

"Your mommy is just going to be gone for a little while." Sonny promises, stroking her hair soothingly. "She'll be back before you know it."

Jason motions for Johnny and Francis to approach, needing to start searching for Elizabeth before they lose anymore time.

"Hey, beautiful." Johnny approaches carefully.

"Bonbon." Elle smiles brightly at the sight of the guard. "You didn't come to my birthday."

"I'm sorry, princess." Johnny smiles slightly. "I'll make it up to you, though. You, me, and Boo are going to have a play date."

"Right now?" Elle looks at him curiously.

"Yeah." Johnny confirms. "Would you like that?"

"Jason?" Elle turns to look at her father. "Can I?"

"Of course." Jason smiles slightly. "I'll join you later tonight, okay?"

"Okay." Elle hugs him tightly before kissing his cheek, much like her mother used to. "See you soon."

Fighting off the tears that threatened to overcome him, Jason hands her over to Johnny before watching them leave in the bulletproof SUV. See you soon. It was the phrase he and Elizabeth would use instead of saying goodbye. Neither ever wanting to say that word after everyone they've lost along the way.

The guards file back into their vehicles with orders from Jason and Sonny both, Sam following along with them. As much as he wanted to find Elizabeth, he hated what it was doing to his fiancée. This moment was never supposed to happen.

He was supposed to move on with her while his daughter lived her life with Elizabeth. Two separate lives. Two different worlds. As hard as he had tried to prevent this moment from happening, Jason has learnt the hardest truth of all. No matter how far you bury it, the truth finds a way to come out in the end.

"Hey." Sonny snaps at him when Jason clenches his hands into fists. "We're going to find her and bring her home."

"You don't know that." Jason states, the knuckles of his hands turning white. "How did this happen, Sonny?"

"I don't know." he admits, sadly. "However it happened, we will make this right. You have to believe that."

"They were supposed to be safe." Jason glares at him. "I did everything right**!** I did everything to make damn sure this never happened**!**"

"This has happened before." Sonny reminds him. "Before you walked away, before Elle was born, this happened more than once."

"What's your point?"

"I want you to remember what she always told you." Sonny says firmly. "What would she say?"

"That I can't control the world." Jason says through tight lips, knowing Sonny wouldn't drop it until he said it aloud. "And the only thing that kept her going was knowing that I would find her and bring her home."

"Exactly." Sonny smiles slightly. "That's what she needs now. She needs you to focus and bring her home."

"Thanks." Jason takes a deep breath, unclenching his fists. "We need to start from the beginning. Maybe now that we know its been about Elizabeth, it'll piece itself together."

"The files are at my penthouse." Sonny says, unlocking his sedan with his remote. "We will find her."

"We have to." Jason states, pulling open the passenger door. "I need her to exist, Sonny. All of this won't matter if she's gone."

* * *

**Please review. I'd appreciate any kind of feedback you can give. Anything at all.  
This is an original idea from yours truly. I really hope yo like it. Thank you!**


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